Gardening Gifts for Kids

If you have littles in your life that love to garden, or you want to make a commitment to get your kids in the garden this next growing season, consider adding one or more of these items to your holiday shopping list! It would be fun to make your own gift set with a few of these items, collected together in a colorful TubTrug, and tied up with some garden twine.

Real garden tools, in sizes just for little hands.
Could you imagine trying to use a full-size shovel as a hand trowel? That’s what it must feel like for small children to use your garden tools! These brightly colored tools would be a welcome addition to any kid’s tool collection.

Books in Bloom, Discovering the plant biology in great children’s literature.
I absolutely love this book. It’s been on my bookshelf at work since my second day with KidsGardening. This book has lesson plans for grades preK-5, and is written for a teacher or home educator.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children, by Sharon Lovejoy (KidsGardening Advisory Board member!)
A dear friend of my mother’s gave me this book, because she knows how much I love to garden with my kids. It’s full of wonderful activities and ideas for gardening with kids.

A plant tower.
Perfect for setting up in a classroom near a window, or a sunny spot in your house, a plant tower will let kids start tender fruit and vegetables inside, or let them experiment with houseplants. Use code SCHOOL at checkout to purchase a plant tower from Flowerhouse for only $40!

Seed packets in their favorite colors.
Pop over to your local garden center, and choose easy-to-grow varieties of flowers or vegetables in colors your kid loves. Tending a garden of flowers–or even vegetables–full of favorite colors actually sounds like something I might want to do next year…

Amaryllis bulbs.
Amaryllis are so fun for kids because they grow so quickly! These are wonderful to brighten the indoors of any home or classroom. Bonus: Susan has a wonderful post on growing amaryllis with kids.

A donation to KidsGardening.
Using the garden as a hands-on teaching tool connects children with nature, helps them know where food comes from, and encourages environmental stewardship. A gift of $12 to KidsGardening will give one more kid the joy of learning through the garden next year.

What are some of your favorite gifts for little green thumbs? Share in the comments!